


Dim as an Ember

by linksofmemories



Category: NCT (Band), 威神V | WayV
Genre: Alternate Universe, Found Family, Inspired by Anastasia (1997 & Broadway), M/M, Slow Burn, Space Opera
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-31
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-17 20:21:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 21,742
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29106255
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/linksofmemories/pseuds/linksofmemories
Summary: Ten couldn't remember anything before the age of 8. He couldn't remember his family's faces or the planet he came from or why he had been left alone in the first place. His past haunted his dreams. No matter how hard he tried to look ahead and focus on the future, he didn't think he would ever escape the mysteries of his past.
Relationships: Chittaphon Leechaiyapornkul | Ten/Qian Kun, Dong Si Cheng | WinWin/Wong Yuk Hei | Lucas
Comments: 14
Kudos: 37





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is inspired by one of my favorite childhood movies, _Anastasia_. I've taken elements from the animated film and the Broadway adaptation (and made it into a space opera, because why not.) The title is from the Iconic song, ["Once Upon a December."](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ez05tspM-Zc)

The dreams always started with music. An orchestra played out loud and bright across the hall. Dancers wearing bright dresses and robes and suits spun around the floor. A girl with black hair that fell to her waist stuck her tongue out at him from across the room. An old woman placed a small box into his hands and kissed his knuckles tenderly.

It was warm and bright and sometimes he wished he could stay inside his dreams forever. He felt small and happy and safe in the lively fantasy world that only existed in his mind. The old woman cupped his cheek with her hand just as a loud bang filled the hall. It was soon followed by screams and fire and suddenly, he was reminded as to why he didn’t want to live in his dreams at all.

“Ten-ge,” a familiar voice said. A hand touched his shoulder. “Wake up. It’s a nightmare. It’s just a nightmare. None of it’s real.”

He wasn’t sure that was right. His dreams felt as real as anything else that had happened to him.

Ten opened his eyes, rubbing at them with the backs of his hands. They were wet with tears. Sicheng wrapped his sleeve over his hand, using the fabric to dab at Ten’s cheeks.

“I’m fine,” Ten said, sitting up in bed. He didn’t push Sicheng away, finding that he liked the attention. “It was just a bad dream.”

“You’ve been having bad dreams since I met you,” Sicheng said. He pulled his hand away and Ten instantly leaned his head against his shoulder. Sicheng sighed, running his fingers through Ten’s hair. “And I’ve known you for a long time.”

That felt like an understatement. They had been by each other’s sides since they were children. It was difficult for Ten to remember a life before living with Sicheng at the boardinghouse. He supposed he was different from most people though. Sicheng told him that his first memory was when he was three years-old. He had been eating dinner with his mother and she had smiled at him from across the table. Ten’s first memory was from when he was eight years-old. He had been found in the cargo bay of a trade ship, clutching a small golden box and shaking his head when the pilot asked him questions about himself.

The only thing he remembered was his name. Ten. It wasn’t from a real memory either. He just heard different people calling him that name in his dreams. An older woman, a young girl, two adults who sounded like they could be a mother and a father. He shook his head. It didn’t do him any good, thinking about things like this.

“Everyone has nightmares,” Ten said. “What time is it?”

As soon as he asked the question, a soft whirring sound filled the room. The old clock on his bedside table came to life, flashing numbers at him. It was almost time for them to wake up.

“It can’t be that early already,” Sicheng groaned. “I feel like I barely got any sleep.”

Ten didn’t even get the chance to agree with him. The lights in their room all turned on at once and the door slid open. He squeezed his eyes shut, seeing spots dance across his vision from the sudden light. A loud clanging sound travelled into their room from the hall.

“Good morning!” a woman shouted. “It’s time to get up! Let’s start our day!”

He slowly blinked his eyes open, squinting against the harsh light in the room. Sicheng was on his back with his palms pressed against his face.

“Dong Sicheng!” the woman, their housemistress, said as stood in front of their room. “Lee Ten! Get up. You’re my oldest. You two should be up before everyone else.”

“Yes, Mama,” they both said at the same time.

She left them alone, more than likely going to the next room to lecture someone. Ten would always be eternally grateful to her for taking him in. She had kept him fed and clothed for 15 years. He knew that her intentions hadn’t been entirely pure when she bought him from the traders who had found him though. Beside Sicheng and some of the young ones who lived in their home, he had never met anyone with totally kind and good intentions.

“Let’s go,” Sicheng said as he rolled off the bed. “We don’t want to be last in line for the showers.”

Ten wanted to complain. He wanted to convince Sicheng that an extra few minutes of sleep were more important than a hot shower. That argument wouldn’t go over well though. He had convinced Sicheng to sleep in a few times before and each time, the sour look Sicheng gave him over breakfast sent a chill down his spine. Ten could still hear the sound of his teeth chattering after stepping out of a freezing shower.

They both grabbed their robes and then stepped outside to a line already forming down the hall. A few people were dry brushing their teeth, their eyes drooping as they tried to stay on their feet. Ten leaned back against Sicheng’s chest since his own eyes were feeling heavy.

“Shufen moved out last night,” the girl in front of him said, whispering into the ear of her friend. “She ran away with that boy who used to tend to the garden. I think she’s pregnant.”

“You’re making that up,” the other girl said. “I heard that she moved out because her grandmother paid Mama back for her time here.”

“Maybe that’s what she wants everyone to believe,” the first girl said. She glanced over her shoulder to look at Ten. “What do you think, gege?”

“I think that gossiping isn’t very nice,” he said before pursing his lips in thought. “But Shufen is definitely pregnant.”

He couldn’t help but laugh as the two girls’ faces lit up. They went right back to whispering, this time trying to plot out the exact timeline of Shufen and the gardener’s love affair. Sicheng snorted behind him and Ten knew that he was rolling his eyes.

“Let the girls have their fun,” Ten said. “They’re too young to be set up by Mama’s matchmaker. We should let them live their lives in bliss.”

“I guess,” Sicheng said. “I just think there are better things to do to pass the time. Remember when we were kids?”

“Stop,” Ten said, elbowing him. “You’re making me feel old.”

“You _are_ old, gege,” Sicheng said.

“I’m only 23,” Ten said. “And you’re not that much younger than me. If I’m old, then what does that make you?”

“Young and sprightly.”

Ten knew he was supposed to be offended by being called old, but Sicheng’s deadpan delivery and tired voice only made him laugh. He pinched Sicheng’s cheek, cooing at him like he would a baby.

The two of them had become as well-known in the boardinghouse as Mama herself. Most tenants arrived in their late-teens. Their parents sent them to the house, asking Mama to find their child a wealthy and suitable spouse. Some parents paid for all expenses upfront, but most residents paid back in installments for the rest of their lives after successfully marrying a wealthy CEO or a member of nobility.

Ten had arrived as a young child without any memories. His age had been determined by a blood test the doctor on the ship had done. His blood could tell them his entire medical history, but not where he was from or why his memories were gone. The traders offered him to Mama and she took one look at him and paid the traders an amount of money that he still didn’t know to this day. Sicheng had arrived a year later, holding hands with his father who wouldn’t stop sobbing as he said goodbye. After Sicheng’s mother passed away, his father told Sicheng he would leave him with Mama while he went out and found a good job so that he could support both of them. He never came back.

“Dong Sicheng!” Mama called from the other end of the hall. “Go to the front of the line!”

The order resulted in a loud cry of protest from the others. Mama paid them no mind, shushing them all as she walked to Sicheng. She stood in front of him with her hands on her hips, looking him up and down. Ten didn’t know why she was studying him so closely. Sicheng looked exactly as he did yesterday.

“Today isn’t my birthday, Mama,” Sicheng said. “Why do you want me to cut to the front?”

“Zhou Zhihao is coming today,” she said. “He wants to have lunch with you. I know how nervous you get before these meetings, so I want you to get ready quickly so that you’ll have time to calm yourself.” She looked at Ten. “You can go with him. No one calms his nerves better than you do.”

“Well, then we should get to the front of the line then,” Ten said, grabbing Sicheng’s hand. He tugged on it lightly but Sicheng didn’t move. “Come on.”

He had to practically drag Sicheng to the end of the hall where the bathroom was. As he passed the other residents, Ten gave them a sweet smile to combat their sour glares. Most people didn’t live in the boardinghouse for more than two years. He didn’t usually make any lasting friendships with any of them, so it didn’t bother him that most of them didn’t like him.

There were only two other people in the bathroom when they arrived. One was brushing their multiple rows of teeth while one of the youngest girls sat on the floor with her legs crossed. Her black hair was covered in a bright pink cream and her face was equally covered with a mint green mask.

“Are you really doing that while everyone is waiting in line?” Ten asked, pulling his shirt over his head. Sicheng leaned against the sink. The person brushing their teeth offered him a tube of toothpaste, but he shook his head. “Doing a face mask during the morning rush doesn’t seem that relaxing.”

Yizhuo opened her eyes to look at him. A piece of her hair came undone from the pile she had shaped it in on her head. It hit her face with a smack and Ten bit his lip to stop himself from laughing.

“I’m perfectly relaxed,” Yizhuo said. She placed the fallen hair back onto her head and then looked at her communicator on the floor. “How much time left on my timer?”

“124,522 milliseconds,” the voice from the communicator said.

“Why do you have it set to milliseconds?” Ten asked.

He went to one of the stalls and turned on the water. It was still pleasantly hot which was rare for him most days. He had almost gotten used to lukewarm showers.

“It’s not on purpose,” Yizhuo said. “I keep changing it back to regular seconds, but it always goes back to millis. I think I need to buy a new one.”

“Tell Mama,” Ten said. “She’ll get you one.”

Each stall was well stocked with every kind of soap and shampoo for every hair and skin type imaginable. He was considered one of the Common Species, but there were plenty of other species at the boardinghouse, like the one currently brushing their teeth. Mama could find a match for anyone. Ten didn’t think she had ever failed.

After a couple of minutes passed, Yizhuo jumped into the stall next to him, washing off her various creams and masks. Sicheng was still at the sinks. He was looking at himself in the mirror and frowning deeply.

Ten pulled on his robe as he exited the shower stall and then joined Sicheng at the sink. He had at least started to brush his teeth now.

“You don’t have to see him,” Ten said. “In fact, I don’t want you to see him. Act like you’re sick or tell Mama to find someone else.”

“He’s the only suitor I’ve seen for almost a year,” Sicheng said. “If I turn him down now, Mama will be furious. She’ll kick me out.”

“Then I’ll leave with you,” Ten said. “We can make it on our own.”

“How?” Sicheng said. “Gege, we don’t have any money. We _owe_ money, remember? If we leave, all the money we make will go right back to Mama. She’s been taking care of us for over a decade.”

“Then we’ll just leave without telling her,” Ten said.

“She’ll find us anyway,” Sicheng said.

He squeezed Sicheng’s hand with his own and then leaned his head on his shoulder. If Sicheng cared that his wet hair was dripping onto his shirt, he didn’t let it show. Ten looked at their reflection in the mirror. He had always been told from a young age that he was beautiful. Mama had taken him in because he was so lovely. Sicheng had been accepted for the same reason.

Sometimes, Ten would look in the mirror and the face blinking back at him would look so familiar. He knew it was his own face, but he couldn’t help but feel like he was looking at someone else. Someone who was older than him, but with similar features. A polite, smiling face that he had to look up at in order to see clearly.

“I’m going to shower,” Sicheng said after he finished brushing his teeth. He passed Yizhuo on the way to the stalls and patted her on the head. “Good morning, Ningning.”

“Don’t mess with my hair,” she said, batting his hand away. “I just finished coloring it.”

The pink cream she had covered it in had changed it to a shimmering silver. Her face was glowing after the face mask had been washed away. She put her hands on her hips as she looked at herself in the mirror, seeming pleased.

“You’re seeing someone today, aren’t you?” Ten asked. “Mama’s found you a match.”

“My first one,” she said. The bathroom door opened and a group of girls walked in with their arms linked together. They took one look at Yizhuo and then went back to talking to each other, their eyes continuing to glance back at her. “It’s, uh, some rich noblewoman who lives in the Upper Circle. I’m not old enough to get married yet, but Mama said the woman’s willing to put in the time after she saw my file.”

“You must have left an impression,” Ten said.

“I guess,” Yizhuo said, shrugging. “I don’t know what I’m doing. I thought changing my hair would make me look more interesting, but what if she likes my natural hair color? And why do I even care what she thinks? It’s just one meeting.”

She pressed her teeth into her bottom lip, worrying it as she looked down at the sink. The group of girls who had walked in were quiet now and Ten knew they were eavesdropping.

“You care because that’s what you’ve been told to do,” Ten said. “I’m sure plenty of people have happy lives with the spouses that Mama has found for them. But I’m also sure that plenty of them are miserable. This is your first meeting. Don’t let it worry you. The final choice is yours.”

“I know.”

Yizhuo finished up in the bathroom and then left, leaving Ten to wait for Sicheng. He looked over at the stalls. Sicheng was tall enough that Ten could see his head over the shower wall. His eyes were closed as he tilted his head up to face the showerhead.

“Don’t drown yourself!” Ten called out to him.

Sicheng jumped a little bit, opening his eyes to look at Ten. “How can someone drown in a shower?”

“I don’t know,” Ten said. “I’ve never heard of it happening, but you could be the first if you keep standing there like that.”

It didn’t take long for Sicheng to finish his shower after that remark. They left the bathroom together, making it back to their room where a cart was waiting for them. On top of it was a platter of fresh fruit and plates and bowls filled with different dishes. A machine was gathering their sheets from their beds.

“Good morning,” Ten said, sitting at the small table they had next to the only window in the room.

The machine must have opened the curtains while they were in the bathroom. Light poured in from outside. He looked out at the murky morning, wondering like he always did if he would ever be able to see the sky again. The air was thick with fog. There were so many tall buildings that natural light could barely make its way into their tiny room.

Mama’s boardinghouse was in the center of the Upper Middle Circle. It was the heart of the city in a strange way. Everyone knew who Mama was and everyone knew what she did to help her residents, her “children,” find a suitable match. Ten rested his hand on his palm, watching as a few personal hovercrafts flew by. Most people were on their way to work this time of day.

“Good morning, Master Ten,” the machine that made their beds said. “Mama has asked me to give this to you.”

It nestled a small chip in the center of his upturned hand. The machine left them alone, walking out of the room with creaky steps. Ten would have to tell Mama that it needed a maintenance check soon.

“What is it?” Sicheng asked after biting into a golden pear.

“You know what it is,” Ten said. He went to his bedside table to grab his communicator. After returning to his seat, he popped the chip inside and watched as a small hologram lit up in front of them. An image of a frowning man with wrinkles around his eyes and gelled hair appeared. “Suitors.”

He flicked his finger in the air, passing by each different profile that was in the chip. Mama had put a lot of profiles in the file and he knew it was because she was getting tired of him. Ten agreed to meet a new suitor once a week, but he never wanted to see any of them a second time. The age limit to stay in Mama’s house was 25 and he was nearing that year. He knew she would kick him out with an impossible amount of debt, but at least he wouldn’t be tied to someone who didn’t love him and only saw him as a trophy.

“He’s not bad looking,” Sicheng said as they got to the final profile. He squinted at the text that accompanied the image. “Only ten years older you.”

“I don’t like his eyebrows,” Ten said, turning off his communicator. The hologram disappeared and he leaned back in his chair. “Are you really going to see Zhou Zhihao today?”

“Yeah,” Sicheng said. “You know I don’t have a choice.”

Ten wanted to tell him that of course he had a choice. Sicheng was his best friend and his brother and the only family he had. He didn’t want to see him go down this path.

“Let’s leave,” Ten said. “We can run away tonight.”

“Haven’t we already had this conversation, gege?” Sicheng asked.

He stood up and went to the cart of food the machine had brought for them. Ten watched as he spooned himself a bowl of congee and grabbed a mantou as well. Sicheng usually only ate a big breakfast when he was nervous. Ten wouldn’t be surprised if he ate most of the food that had been brought to them.

“We can have it again,” Ten said. Sicheng tore the mantou in two and offered him half of it. “We can just pack our things and go. I can sell my body for money.”

Ten said that at the wrong time. Sicheng choked on the steamed bun. He coughed a few times before gulping down half a glass of water.

“That’s not funny,” Sicheng said once he could speak again.

“I’m not trying to be funny,” Ten said. “I’m sure I could make plenty of money. Especially the first time. I’ll really emphasis that I’m selling my virginity. There has to be people who are into that sort of thing.”

“You’re sick, gege.”

“I’m being serious,” Ten said. “I don’t want you to marry that man.”

“Why not?” Sicheng asked. “There’s nothing wrong with him.”

“Exactly,” Ten said. “He’s clean. Too clean. I don’t trust him. You’re going to marry him and within a few weeks he’ll already have a child in you.”

Those words were said at the right time. Sicheng hadn’t been eating or drinking, so the glare Ten received wasn’t accompanied by choking and coughing. He raised an eyebrow, as if inviting Sicheng to argue with him when they both knew he was right.

The residents at Mama’s boardinghouse all had to fulfill two requirements. They had to be beautiful and they had to be able to carry children. Ten had had no idea what that even meant when he first started living there. The traders who found him in their cargo bay had taken him to the ship’s doctor. All of the men had been rough with him, but their faces had long since faded from his mind. The doctor still visited his nightmares from time to time though.

Ten could still remember standing in the cold room as the doctor listened to his heartbeat and monitored his breathing. He had then started to examine his body, looking for bruises and broken bones. The examination ended with him pulling down his pants. Ten had seen a smile stretch across his face before he looked at one of the traders.

“ _This little discovery might just be our biggest payday yet_.”

Mama had him looked over by a doctor the first day she had taken him in. Ten had hidden behind the door and started kicking when he was pulled onto an examination table. Mama’s doctor had been kind though, smiling at him softly and always asking permission before she touched him. It didn’t take long for him to realize that the “doctor” on the trader’s ship had no right to treat patients, especially not small children without a memory.

“Zhou Zhihao is kind to me,” Sicheng said, bringing Ten back to the present. “He’s the youngest suitor I’ve ever had–”

“He’s 20 years older than you.”

“–and he’s very patient,” Sicheng said. He had no problem talking over Ten. Years of practice made that easy for him. “He has a good job.”

“He works for the government.”

“Exactly,” Sicheng said. “A good job. Lots of money. Enough money to pay off my debt and yours.”

Ten felt his heart drop into his stomach. He looked at Sicheng who was stirring his congee with a spoon. It didn’t look like he was going to actually eat any more of it. Usually Ten would playfully scold him for playing with his food.

“Don’t tell me that’s why you’re doing this,” Ten said. “You’re not doing this because of me.”

“Of course not,” Sicheng said. “I’m doing it for both of us. I plan on telling him that I’ll marry him if he agrees to take you in as well.”

“You want me to marry him, too?”

“No,” Sicheng said. He put his face in his hands and Ten could see he was getting frustrated. “As my brother. I want you to be with me as a member of my family.”

“So that we can poison him,” Ten said, “and you’ll be left with all of his money and we can pay off our debts and both be free.”

“I’m not going to poison him.”

“Suffocate him while he sleeps.”

“Gege, you’re not funny.”

He wasn’t trying to be funny, not really.

“I just can’t see you with him,” Ten said. “You deserve to be with someone who makes you smile. Someone with a warm heart.”

“I know,” Sicheng said. He grinned but it lacked a certain warmth that Sicheng’s smiles usually contained. “This is the life I’ve been given though. It’s my choice to marry Zhou Zhihao, if he asks me.”

Ten wanted to tell him that it wasn’t a matter of “if” Zhihao would ask Sicheng to marry him. It was going to happen. Most likely sooner rather than later. He just hoped that Sicheng could have the strength to turn him down when he did.

⋇⋆✦⋆⋇

“I swear you get more beautiful each time I see you,” Zhou Zhihao said, holding both of Sicheng’s hands in his. He leaned forward, noisily kissing his knuckles. Sicheng laughed awkwardly. Zhihao’s smile in response seemed to convey that he thought Sicheng’s laugh was the equivalent of a charming giggle. “I’ll never get tired of looking at you.”

“You’re saying too much,” Sicheng said.

They were sitting in one of the stuffy sitting rooms in the house. Paintings of flowers and random women were displayed on the walls. Zhihao had brought Sicheng a bouquet of white flowers and it sat in the middle of the table, in a crystal vase that Mama had gotten from one of her cabinets.

Ten was sitting by Sicheng’s side, acting as a silent chaperone since it was inappropriate for Sicheng to meet a suitor alone.

“What size ring do you wear?” Zhihao said, running his thumb across the ring finger of Sicheng’s left hand. “Do you prefer gold or silver? Diamonds or pearls?”

“I… I don’t know,” Sicheng said. “I’ve never been one to wear a lot of jewelry.”

“That’s a shame,” Zhihao said. “You’d look so lovely adorned with jewels.”

Sicheng let out another awkward laugh and Zhihao smiled at him, too charmed to even realize how uncomfortable Sicheng was. Ten wondered what would happen if he picked up the vase from the table and threw it at Zhihao’s head.

“So, how has work been?” Sicheng asked. Zhihao had finally let go of his hands, so he placed them in his lap instead. “Busy as always?”

“Of course,” Zhihao said. “It’s an important job, looking after our nation’s economy.”

He was an accountant who worked in a tiny office in a government building. Ten wanted to tell him that he should stop trying to make himself sound more interesting than he was, but he kept those words to himself.

“I’m going on a business trip soon,” Zhihao said. He smiled like he was proud of himself. “Off planet.”

“Oh,” Sicheng said, sitting up in his chair. Ten had never seen him so interested in anything Zhihao had said before. “Where are you going?”

“Silla,” he said. “I’m going with a large group. The crown prince has requested a meeting with our department. I’m sure I’ll spend most of my time in business meetings, but I’ll have time to myself as well. Is there anything you would want me to buy for you?”

“I don’t know,” Sicheng said. “How about something that you can only get in Silla?”

“I’m not sure what that would be,” Zhihao said. “I look forward to finding something for you though. I love challenges.” He took his eyes away from Sicheng to glance at Ten. “Would you like a souvenir as well?”

“How about a t-shirt?” Ten said.

“So original,” Zhihao said.

Ten got the feeling that he was about to sneer at him, but Zhihao kept his expressions under control. His perfect smile slid back into place as he brought his attention to Sicheng once more.

As he watched them continue their stunted, flat conversation, Ten pictured himself sitting in Sicheng’s spot. He had been there so many times before. Ten had lost count of how many potential suitors had paid him visits. At first he had tried to be polite to them. He tried his best to smile and not visibly shudder when they touched his hair or grabbed his hand or kissed his cheek. Eventually his acceptance left him. Now, he would slouch in his chair and yawn after every sentence someone would say.

The older he got, the bolder the words of his suitors became. When he was younger they would try to trap him with sweet words. They would ask him about his studies and his hobbies. All of them would feign interest in him just to make him comfortable and pliant and more likely to say “yes” to anything they asked.

As an adult, he was never asked about his interests. They liked him because he was different, _exotic_. Ten wasn’t from this planet. His past was mysterious. He intrigued all of them more than he liked. His standoffish attitude and defiant personality only seemed to captivate them more. He could see in their eyes how much they craved him, how they wanted to break him.

Zhihao didn’t want to break Sicheng. He wanted to keep him locked away in an extravagant room, wrapped in soft blankets and silks. Ten couldn’t decide which fate was worse.

“I’ll see you once I’m back from my trip,” Zhihao said, standing up from the table.

An hour had passed and Mama was outside the door with another suitor who was waiting for his turn to speak with one of the residents. Ten and Sicheng walked with Zhihao through the house until they reached the front door. He kissed Sicheng’s cheek and gave Ten a tight, forced smile before stepping outside.

Ten reached forward, taking Sicheng’s hand in his own and lacing their fingers together. Sicheng’s eyes were locked on the floor.

“What do you want to do for the rest of the day?” Ten asked.

He watched as Sicheng’s cheeks turned a shade of pink. Ten had a feeling he already knew what Sicheng wanted.

“Don’t laugh at me,” he said. “I want to watch that old film again.”

“I’d never laugh at you for that,” Ten said.

They went back up to their room, counting the endless flights of stairs as their hands stayed linked together. Once in their room, Ten shut the door and then opened the closet, pushing up on his tiptoes so that he could reach the top shelf. Sicheng stood next to him, easily grabbing the projector without having to strain himself. He laughed when he saw Ten’s pout.

The projector was an old model, so new films didn’t play on it. They had a small collection, consisting of their childhood favorites. Sicheng’s was a short documentary. He popped a disk into a projector and a hologram lit up in front of them.

“ _This is the galaxy, Gaia_ ,” the narrator said. “ _It’s home to over a hundred different planets. The one we live on is called Sihai. One of our closest neighbors is Silla._ ”

It was a program that was shown to school children. Mama had bought it for them only a week after she had taken Sicheng in. They watched it so many times as children that Ten had memorized every word. He knew that Sicheng had as well.

They didn’t watch it for educational purposes anymore. Sicheng only ever suggested they watch it when he was feeling overwhelmed.

“I want to go out there,” Sicheng said. The stars in the projection were reflected in his eyes. “To all of those planets. I don’t want to be stuck in Sihai forever.”

“Sihai is a big planet,” Ten said. “We only live in a tiny part of it. Don’t you want to explore where we live before moving on to other planets?”

“No,” Sicheng said. “I want to go far away. Somewhere we can start over.” He looked down at his hands. “I know it won’t happen though.”

Ten watched the hologram, seeing all of the planets with different cultures and people and he felt a longing he always did when he looked out at the stars. He didn’t know which of those planets was his home. The ship he was found on had made so many stops that no one knew where he came from. He spoke to the traders in different languages, his head a mess of all the words he had ever learned. Some felt more natural than others, but he wasn’t sure which one was his first language.

“You never know,” Ten said. “That could be us one day.”

He pointed to an image of two kids sitting in the pilot seat of a small spacecraft. It was probably meant to excite the young children the film was made for. All it did was make Ten jealous now. Sicheng shook his head and Ten could tell that he was close to giving up all hope.

Ten just hoped that he was still holding on to a tiny piece of hope though. He didn’t think they would survive if they gave up completely.


	2. Chapter 2

“Would you like to hear another story?” the man sitting across from him asked.

Ten glanced up from his cup of tea, looking back at the man who had a smug smile painted on his face. There was a glowing chip in the center of his forehead, a new piece of technology that was meant to “open up the mind.” Ten just thought it was an outrageously expensive virtual assistant that’s main purpose was to show how wealthy someone was.

Sicheng was sitting at his side. His head kept falling forward slightly and Ten could tell he was about two seconds away from falling asleep.

“Another story?” Ten said. He leaned forward on the table, resting his chin on his hand. As he looked over the man’s face he tried to remember his name, but his memory wasn’t supplying him with one. “But you’ve already told me so many. Don’t you want to save a few for next time?”

“Next time?” the man said. His smile seemed to get even smugger. Ten didn’t know how that was possible. “I’m more than happy to save my stories if it means I get to see you again.”

Ten smiled, making sure it reached his eyes so that the man thought it was genuine. He placed his hands on the table before standing up and gesturing toward the door.

“I can’t wait for our next meeting,” Ten said. “The sooner you leave, the sooner I’ll be able to see you again.”

Sicheng snorted. Ten kicked his ankle from under the table.

“Will you walk me out?” the man asked. “This place is like a maze.” He walked outside the room and then placed his hand on the small of Ten’s back once they were in the hall. “How many floors does this house have?”

“Seventeen,” Sicheng said.

Ten glanced over his shoulder to see Sicheng behind them. Once their eyes met, Sicheng pointed to the man’s back before making a face like he was about to vomit. Ten bit his bottom lip so that he wouldn’t laugh.

“Seventeen floors,” the man said. “How many people live here?”

“I have no idea,” Ten said. “I’ve never counted. I did when I was younger, but people come and go so quickly, it’s no use keeping track. I’m sure there are a couple hundred of us.”

“Well, out of a couple hundred, you’re surely the most beautiful,” the man said. He stopped walking and lifted his hand, grabbing Ten’s chin between his thumb and index finger. “I truly do wish to see you again.”

“You will,” Ten said, trying his best not to move out of his grasp.

They walked the man to the front door and waved at him until he entered a luxury hovercraft that was waiting for him outside. Ten leaned against the doorframe, watching as the craft lifted into the sky and then flew away, joining countless of other crafts in midday traffic.

“So, you’re not seeing him again?” Sicheng said.

“Definitely not,” Ten said.

He shut the front door and turned around only to see Mama waiting for him. Her arms were crossed over her chest and her thick eyebrows seemed to have met in the middle of her forehead.

“Ten,” she said. “He’s handsome. He’s young. He’s–”

“He’s terrible, Mama,” Ten said. “Did you see that thing in the middle of his forehead? The only thing he talked about were investments he’s made. He’s boring and if I see him again, I’m sure he’ll be the type to not keep his hands to himself and–”

“Why can’t you be more like Sicheng?” Mama asked.

“What is that supposed to mean?” Ten asked.

“It means that Sicheng is seriously considering Zhou Zhihao,” Mama said. “Sicheng is smart, he knows not to turn down a good deal. Don’t you, Sicheng?”

Ten turned his attention to Sicheng who looked as if he would do anything to not have both of their gazes on him. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and let his eyes find the floor.

“I meet with him again in a few days,” Sicheng said. “If he proposes, I’m going to accept.”

“You can’t do that,” Ten said.

“Yes, he can,” Mama said. “And he should.”

Sicheng nodded his head, agreeing with her. She reached forward and took Sicheng’s face in her hands, smiling widely at him. Ten remembered when she used to look at him like that. The two of them had been raised together, but Ten always knew that he was her favorite. He used to be, anyway. As they got older, Mama’s affection went to Sicheng more often. Ten knew it was because he was more obedient.

“Delete that man from my file,” Ten said. “I don’t want to see him again.”

“Fine,” Mama said. “But you have to promise me that you’ll see the next suitor at least twice.”

It wasn’t ideal, but if it meant he would never have to see that idiot’s smug smile and the ugly chip in his forehead, he could agree to it.

“Fine,” Ten said. “I’ll give everyone a second chance from now on.”

“Thank you,” she said. “You know I’m doing this for your own good, don’t you?” Mama took her communicator out of her pocket and started to scroll down a long list. “You two don’t have any skills that would help you survive in society. Marrying rich is the only way for you to survive.”

“I know,” Ten said.

Mama had told them many times before that she only took them both in when they were young because she knew they would make her a lot of money one day. He knew that the days they both left her house would be the happiest of her life. She finally wouldn’t have to deal with Ten’s stubbornness, and she would make back an obscene amount of money.

“I have a few things I need from the market,” Mama said. “I would get one of the machines to do it, but you two look like you could use some fresh air.”

She tapped the screen of her communicator a final time and Ten heard his own beep in his pocket. He took it out to see that she had sent him a short list. His bank account also had a transfer notification as well.

“If you’re not back in two hours, I’m sending someone after you,” she said.

“We’re not going to try and run,” Ten said. He tapped the back of his neck. “You would just track us down if we did.”

Mama pinched his cheek, smiling at him like she was looking at a child who learned how to tie their shoes for the first time.

“Hurry back,” she said.

⋇⋆✦⋆⋇

Ten loved running errands. He wasn’t able to do it often since Mama rarely let residents of the boardinghouse leave. They were only allowed to leave to visit family members or if there was some kind of emergency that they had to leave the house for. It didn’t matter if they left though. Upon arrival everyone was given a chip in their neck so that Mama could track them. Everyone was in debt to her, so she wanted to keep know where they were at all times.

As they walked through town, Ten noticed that Sicheng kept looking up at the sky. The air was thick with fog and fumes from factories. A few low flying vehicles could still be seen though. Ten wanted to move to the country. He wanted to be able to see the sky and the stars and the moons and the different planets. Sometimes he had dreams about waking up in a small cottage, breathing in clean morning air, and eating breakfast. They were boring dreams of a dull life that he craved.

“I don’t know why you want to fly in one of those so bad,” Ten said, sidling up next to Sicheng. “You’re afraid of heights.”

“I’m afraid if I have to look down,” Sicheng said. “I’m all right if I can keep my eyes on the sky.”

“Well, I’m sure Zhou Zhihao owns a nice hovercraft that he can fly you around in,” Ten said.

“I’m sure he does,” Sicheng said. “You’re never going to accept my choice, are you?”

“No,” Ten said. “I told you that I don’t want to stand by while you throw your life away.”

Sicheng stopped walking. He looked away from the sky and as he did, his shoulders seem to drop with his gaze. Ten couldn’t remember the last time he had seen Sicheng smiling and acting carefree. Ever since his meetings with Zhihao had become more frequent, it was as if all of Sicheng’s spirit has been slowly drained from him.

“I’m not throwing anything away,” Sicheng said. “I’m doing the right thing. I’m going to marry someone who adores me. I’ll easily pay off my debt to Mama and yours as well. It’ll be a good life.”

“Maybe a good life for someone who isn’t you,” Ten said.

He knew that Sicheng was annoyed with him. Sicheng most likely knew that Ten was annoyed with him too. He could understand Sicheng’s way of thinking, but the life he described didn’t seem worth it. He sounded like he was trading one prison for another.

“Just let me go, gege,” Sicheng said. “Please. You heard what Mama said earlier. Neither one of us have any skills to survive in the real world. We’ve been pampered and kept inside for most of our lives. How could we survive on our own?”

“We would figure it out,” Ten said.

Sicheng laughed and Ten hated how it sounded completely devoid of any humor. It was so empty.

“Even if we could make it on our own, no one would be able to find us,” Sicheng said. “Sihai is a big planet. What if someone needed to get ahold of us?”

“Why would anyone need to know where we are?” Ten asked. “That’s the point of a fresh start. We can start over again in a new place.”

“I can understand why you would want that,” Sicheng said, “but I can’t accept it. If I marry Zhou Zhihao, Mama will know where I am. If Mama knows then… then if my father comes back for me, she can tell him–”

“Sicheng,” Ten said. He reached forward, taking his hand and lacing their fingers together. “We’ve been over this. He gave you to Mama fourteen years ago. He’s not coming–”

“I know,” he said. “I know it’s unlikely, but can’t you just let me hold on to a bit of hope? Just because you’ve given up on finding your family, doesn’t mean I have to as well.”

That stung a bit more than Ten would have liked. He knew that Sicheng didn’t mean to hurt him with his words. The kind of relationship they had was strong. They understood each other so well. Sicheng would never say something to intentionally cause him pain.

It still hurt to think about his own family. He couldn’t remember their names or their faces. All Ten had were his nightmares and a small golden box that he had been clutching to when the traders found him. Of course Ten wanted to see his family again, but he was happy with Sicheng. Most days he could convince himself that they were all each other needed.

“We’re almost done with Mama’s list,” Sicheng said. He looked at his communicator, reading over the tasks. “We just have to stop by the music shop.”

“Music shop?” Ten said. “For what?”

“To get a band for a wedding,” Sicheng said. “Xiulan is getting married, remember? They’re having the ceremony in the garden at the boardinghouse.”

“Oh, right,” Ten said.

He hated weddings. Most of the people who found their match thanks to Mama didn’t get married at the boardinghouse. There were always a few that chose to marry there each year. Some said they had an emotional attachment to the building, but Ten had seen the true reason over the years. The ones who got married at the house were the ones who were flight risks. Mama wanted them to get married in her own territory, where she could watch them and make sure they went through with it.

Ten had no plans of ever accepting an offer from a suitor, but if he did, he knew he would be one of the residents who got married at the boardinghouse.

Sicheng lead him through the marketplace, using his communicator to help him navigate. They had been to the music shop before, but buildings were constantly closing and changing location. Neither one of them left the house that often either. Even if everything outside stayed exactly the same, Ten doubted he would be able to easily make his way around the city. So much time passed between outings that he would surely forget everything.

“She just wants a live machine band,” Sicheng said, reading Mama’s request from his phone. “No living beings playing instruments, but not a machine who just presses a button to play music either.”

“The middle option,” Ten said. “Not the cheapest, but not the most expensive either. That sounds like her.”

“She loves to save money,” Sicheng said, “but she’d rather die than be called cheap.”

The music store was a tiny building squeezed between a machine repair shop and a dentist. When they walked inside, a bell above the door chimed. Instruments lined the walls of the shop. On a small platform in the middle of the room was a machine band. They were all frozen in place, their metal hands hovering over a keyboard or holding a guitar or a pair of drumsticks.

“I’m sure they’ll play for us if we ask,” Sicheng said.

“I don’t know if I want to hear them play though,” Ten said. “Let’s just talk to whoever works here so we can make a booking for the wedding.” He glanced down at his communicator to check the time. “If we leave here in ten minutes, we can have some time to ourselves to walk around.”

“That sounds good,” Sicheng said.

Sitting behind a counter at the back of the store was a bored-looking teenager. He was looking at his communicator and his feet were up on the counter. Ten rested his elbows on top. The teenager didn’t look at him. There was a bell on the counter and Ten hit it with his palm. It didn’t chime; it only made an unsatisfying clack.

“The bell’s broken,” the teenager said.

“Really?” Ten said. “I hadn’t noticed.” He squinted at the nametag attached to the boy’s shirt. “Renjun?”

“Yes?”

“Do you work here?” Ten asked.

“Obviously.”

“Then can you assist us?” Ten said. “We’re paying customers.”

Renjun placed his communicator on the counter and then sighed like he found talking to them to be a great hardship. He pressed a few keys on the keyboard in front of him and a blank hologram file appeared in front of them.

“How can I help you?” he asked.

“We want to book a machine band for a wedding,” Ten said. “It’s a few months away.”

“Fill out this form,” Renjun said before Ten could explain anything further. “I’ll look it over and then you can pay.”

He picked up his communicator again, apparently done with their conversation. Ten pointed his own comm at the file in front of them, transferring it to his device. He walked back to the platform in the middle of the room and sat down on the edge of it.

“He’s an absolute delight,” Ten said.

Sicheng took his comm from him and started to fill out the form himself.

“Maybe he just has trouble talking to strangers,” Sicheng said. “Or he didn’t get enough sleep last night. He could have just gotten some bad news. Or maybe–”

“Okay, I get it,” Ten said. “Why do you always have to look for the best in people? You make me sound like a jerk.”

“That’s not my intention,” Sicheng said. “You’re just too quick to judge. Remember how I was when we first met? If you had never given me a chance, we wouldn’t be as close as we are now.”

Ten couldn’t forget the first few weeks Sicheng spent at the boardinghouse. They were the only two children residents. Everyone else ignored them for the most part. The year before Sicheng arrived, Ten spent his days doing chores around the house and sitting in boring lessons. His education was important to Mama and, while he appreciated it now, he had hated the lessons at the time.

When Sicheng arrived, Ten had been jealous. All the older residents cooed over him, talking about how beautiful he was and how he would only attract the finest of suitors when he was older. He was quiet and obedient and everyone pitied him once they heard about his dead mother and the father that abandoned him. Sicheng was assigned as his roommate and Ten was furious that he had to give up his single room. The fury faded quickly though.

During the days, Sicheng would smile politely and show nothing but soft grace and perfect manners. Ten found him infuriating. At night, Sicheng would curl up under his covers and cry into his pillow. Ten didn’t have the heart to hate him. So, after the first two weeks, Ten went to his bed and tucked Sicheng against his chest and stroked his hair until he stopped crying and fell asleep.

“My sweet Sicheng,” Ten said, making his voice high-pitched like he was talking to a child or a small animal. He pinched his cheek. “Always seeing the best in other people. Being such a good example.”

“Gege, stop it,” Sicheng whined. He pushed Ten’s hand away. “Why are you like this?”

“I’m like this because I love you,” Ten said.

He pinched Sicheng’s cheek again and used his other hand to poke him in the side. Sicheng dropped his comm into his lap, grabbing Ten’s hands in an attempt to get him to stop showering him with affection.

“You want to hold my hand?” Ten asked, lacing their fingers together. “Sichengie, you should have just asked.”

“I am _not_ trying to hold your–”

“You two are weird,” Renjun said from the counter.

Ten dropped Sicheng’s hands and scowled at Renjun who was looking at his comm again, acting as if he hadn’t said anything. He leaned toward Sicheng, whisper-shouting in his ear, “I hate that kid. I really hate him.”

“No, you don’t,” Sicheng said. He picked up his comm since Ten had let go of his hands. “Let me finish this form so that we can go.”

“Fine,” Ten said.

He dropped his head on Sicheng’s shoulder, keeping his hands to himself this time so that Sicheng wasn’t distracted. The longer they sat there, the more it became apparent to Ten how hot it was. There was a creaky fan above the front door, blowing hot air into the stifling room. It was winter, but the city hadn’t had a cold day in years. The buildings and factories and pollution made it impossible for the air to be any cooler than stifling. He was forever grateful to Mama and her love of freezing artificial air. She was cheap about many things, but that wasn’t one of them.

Ten closed his eyes, picturing somewhere with a cool breeze and a sun that shined brightly and clearly in the sky. He could see a beach with white sand and blue water and a few people running toward him with big smiles on their faces.

“Done,” Sicheng said, getting to his feet.

He went back to the counter to turn the form into Renjun. Ten leaned back on his elbows, tilting his head until it came in contact with the machine stationed at the keyboard. As soon as he touched it, it came to life.

“Enjoy the show!” the machine said cheerily.

The rest of the machine band turned on as well. They started playing at max volume, an energetic song that sounded like it would be played at a children’s birthday party.

“Did you really just do that?” Renjun asked from the counter. “I finally got them to stop five minutes before you two came in. They’ve been driving me crazy all day.”

“Sorry!” Ten said, wincing.

Sicheng had a grin on his face after he finished making the reservation.

“I told you he had a reason for being in a bad mood,” Sicheng said. “You shouldn’t judge people–”

“Oh, shut up,” Ten said.

⋇⋆✦⋆⋇

Ten pressed his head against the window in his and Sicheng’s room. He always found the sky to be the most beautiful at night. It was impossible to see the stars, but he could see the lights from the city and the darkness helped to cover the smog.

Sicheng was on his bed, lying on his stomach while he played a game on his communicator. His legs kicked back and forth in the air and Ten couldn’t help but smile. Sicheng was an adult now, but he didn’t think he would ever stop seeing him as his younger brother. That was another reason why it was so difficult for him to see Sicheng agreeing to a marriage proposal.

There was a knock on their room door. Before either of them could ask who it was, the door slid open to reveal Mama. She was wearing her bathrobe and her hair was pinned up on top of her head.

“Ten,” she said, “I want to have a word with you before bed.”

“Yes, Mama,” Ten said.

He got up from the table and followed Mama out of the room. This wasn’t the first time she had summoned him for a late night conversation. He knew he was going to be lectured.

Mama’s office was on the top floor of the boardinghouse. Instead of taking the stairs though, she allowed him to join her in his private elevator. She took a long chain out from under her robe. On the end of it was a key fob that unlocked every door in the boardinghouse. She held it up to the elevator’s call button and the doors slid open.

“Did you have a nice time with Sicheng today?” Mama asked as the elevator doors shut. “It’s been a while since you two have been out.”

“It was fine,” Ten said. “You didn’t give us much time to finish the errands, so we couldn’t walk around much.”

“Why would you want to walk around?” Mama asked. “It’s so hot outside. The air is so thick. It’s impossible to breathe.”

“I just wanted to stretch my legs, I suppose,” Ten said.

He knew that she wouldn’t understand the kind of freedom he longed for.

“We have plenty of stairs here,” she said. “Run up and down them the next time you want to stretch your legs.”

Not only was the top floor where Mama’s office was, but it was also where her living quarters were. She had the entire floor to herself. He followed her out of the elevator and into her office that was just across the hall.

Ten sat down on the chair in front of her desk, slouching as he played with his fingers in his lap. She sat down at her desk, her sharp eyes locked on his face. He wanted to look away, but he kept his gaze steady.

“I need you to let go of Sicheng,” she said. “Tell him to marry Zhou Zhihao.”

“No,” Ten said.

“That wasn’t a request,” she said. “I wasn’t asking for you to consider it. I am telling you that you need to give him your permission, your blessing to marry Zhihao.”

“Why would I do that?” Ten asked.

“Because it’s what’s best for him,” she said. “If he didn’t hold you and your useless opinions in such high regard, Sicheng would have been married months ago. His debt would have been paid in full. He would be happy if it weren’t for you.”

“He’s happy because of me,” Ten said. “And I’m happy because of him. I’m not going to tell him to do something that’ll only make him miserable.”

Mama sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. Ten could tell that she was trying to keep herself together. She had a long day running the boardinghouse and now she had to deal with his attitude. He couldn’t begin to imagine how exhausted she was.

“I love you both,” she said. “You two are the closest I’ve ever gotten to having my own children. After everything I’ve done for you, can’t you just accept that I know what’s best? Sicheng is so lovely. He’s the most perfect candidate I’ve ever had. He would have been married at 18 if he didn’t listen to everything you say.”

“I’m glad he listens to me then,” Ten said.

She stood up and walked around her desk so that she could be on the same side as him. He hated how his eyes fell to the floor as soon as she got close. Mama put two fingers under his chin and gently lifted his face up.

“You’re lovely too, you know,” she said. “Don’t roll your eyes at me. I’m going to find you the perfect spouse. I’ve made another appointment for you tomorrow. If you find something wrong with this one, then I’ll start planning Sicheng’s wedding.”

It was an underhanded move, but Ten couldn’t complain. She had made it obvious that she knew just how defiant and independent he was. Just like she made it obvious that she knew that Sicheng was his weakness.

“Go to sleep,” she said. “I don’t want your suitor tomorrow to see dark circles under those pretty eyes.”

He stood up, let her kiss his cheek, and then left the room without another word. Ten could act out as much as he wanted to, but he was powerless against her. He took the stairs back down to his room.

⋇⋆✦⋆⋇

Ten sat in the same room that he had been in yesterday. Sicheng was by his side once again as they waited for the new suitor to show up. It was the first time that Mama hadn’t shown him a profile beforehand. He supposed she had grown tired of him giving up on the suitors before he even met them in person. After taking one glance at someone’s image he would find something to complain about.

The door to the room opened and Mama appeared, her face showing a smile that was a little too proud. He was about to ask her what she was grinning for, but the answer soon presented itself. In walked a suitor who was unlike anyone else he had met with before. The first thing Ten noticed about him was his height. Mama was already a short woman, but the man seemed to tower over her. He didn’t look intimidating though. There was a wide smile on his face as he bowed to her in thanks. She left the room, not without first giving Ten a pointed look.

After noticing his height, Ten realized how young he looked. He looked to be around Ten and Sicheng’s age. Usually suitors were older since they needed time to accumulate enough wealth to pay off the debt. This man must have been from a rich family if he was so young and already looking to marry someone from the boardinghouse.

“Hello,” he said. “I hope it’s all right if I speak in the Common Language. I don’t know Sihai.”

That was another unusual thing about this man. Everyone who Mama approved of was from Sihai. She didn’t accept foreigners.

“That’s fine,” Ten said. He glanced at Sicheng who was looking at the man with a blank look on his face. “My friend doesn’t speak Common though. I’ll have to translate if you say something rude that he’ll have to report.”

“I don’t think that will be necessary,” the man said, taking a seat across from Ten. “I can’t stay for long. I made sure that I wasn’t followed, but I can’t be too careful.”

“Followed?” Ten said. “Why would someone follow you?”

“That doesn’t matter,” he said. “I know who you are. Don’t worry. I don’t want to hurt you. I’m here to help. We have a mutual friend.”

Ten couldn’t remember the last time he had been so confused. He glanced at Sicheng who was squinting at the stranger, like looking at him harder would make it so he could understand Common. Sicheng seemed to realize that because he took his comm out of his pocket. Ten could see him open a translator app.

“All of my friends live in this house,” Ten said. “So, I don’t know which mutual–”

“Just look at this,” the man said.

He took his own communicator out. After tapping a few times, a hologram of Ten appeared before them. He was about to ask what that could possibly prove when he took a closer look at it. The image wasn’t the one that was in his official profile. Something about it was off. All of his features were accurate, but Ten felt like he was looking at a photo someone had made of him. It was as if his face had been described to an artist who only had those words to work with.

“It looks just like you,” the man said. “This is what our friend thought you would look like at this age. He wasn’t far off, was he?”

“I… I don’t understand,” Ten said. “What does this prove? I told you that I don’t know what ‘friend’ you’re talking about.”

“Silla’s crown prince,” he said. “You know him. You’re childhood friends.”

Ten felt his mouth fall open slightly. He stared at the man across from him as he tried to read him. This had to be a joke. There was no way he was being serious.

Sicheng turned off the translator and then spoke to Ten in Sihai. “This man is insane.” He turned the app back on.

That was another logical conclusion. This man had to be crazy.

“You’re not from Sihai,” the man said. “You’re from Siam. Ten is the name your family and friends called you, but to everyone else you were known as–”

“Siam?” Sicheng said. “The planet that’s been under Silla control for nearly twenty years? You want us to trust you, but you’re friends with a prince who’s enslaving the people of the planet you’re insisting Ten-ge is from?”

Siam. Ten had heard of the planet before, but the name didn’t mean anything to him. He knew that its language was one that he knew, but he could speak so many languages that that wasn’t exactly significant. Whenever he thought about the planet, he always felt a sense of wrong. Siam wasn’t its real name. He didn’t know how he knew that, but he did. Siam was a name that people from other planets called it.

“Please stop acting like you don’t know what I’m talking about,” the man said. “I’m here to help you. If I could just explain–”

“He has amnesia,” Sicheng said. Ten had never seen him so agitated. “He’s spent his entire life wondering who he is and you just come in here and lie to him? He’s already confused. Are you trying to take advantage of him?”

The man listened as Sicheng’s comm translated his words into Common. As soon as he heard the word “amnesia,” his eyes widened in surprise.

“You… You don’t remember?” he said. “That… I guess that makes sense. What happened must have been so traumatic that–” His own communicator started to beep on the table. He picked it up and read the new message he received. “Dammit. I have to go.” The man stood up and walked around the table so that he could stand next to Ten. “I’ll be back soon. Don’t leave the house, okay? Just stay put and we’ll come for you.” He put his hand on Ten’s shoulder and squeezed. “We’re going to get you out of here.”

Then he did the most confusing thing he had done since walking into the room. He bowed to Ten. It wasn’t a short bow that was meant to be a polite farewell. He dropped down to one knee and bowed to him. It lasted much longer that it should have and Ten felt uncomfortable as he stared at the man.

“Here’s my contact information,” the man said after he got back to his feet. “If you feel like you’re in danger or you need help, call me.”

Sicheng’s comm lit up with a notification. Before either of them could ask the man anymore questions, he left the room in a hurry. The door slammed behind him, leaving Ten and Sicheng to sit there alone in stunned silence. Sicheng picked up his communicator, reading the name of the man aloud.

“Johnny Suh?” Sicheng said. “That can’t be his real name. It sounds as fake as the lies he just told you.”

“Right,” Ten said.

He took a deep breath as he tried to calm the rapid beating of his heart. Ten didn’t know why he was so excited. Sicheng was right. The man was clearly unwell. His words didn’t make any sense. Ten only wanted them to be true because he was desperate to meet someone who knew about his past. That was all.


	3. Chapter 3

Ten looked at the golden box in his hands, turning it over so that he could see the bird engraved on the bottom of it. He had tried for so long to open it. There wasn’t a clasp or a lock, no fingerprint or retinal scanner. If it was locked with a password or voice recognition then he knew he would never be able to open it. Sometimes he thought of getting rid of it. The box was the only thing he had left of his past.

“I know you’re still mad at me,” Sicheng said from in front of their mirror. His hands were clutched together in his lap as he looked at his reflection. “Please don’t make me do this alone though. I’m sure you want to teach me a lesson or… or punish me or–”

“I don’t want to do either of those things,” Ten said. He put the box in his jacket pocket before getting off the bed. “I’d never abandon you. You know that.”

“You’re mad though,” Sicheng said.

“Mad isn’t the right word,” Ten said.

He truly wasn’t mad. Ten was devastated. All of his protesting and attempts to make Sicheng see sense had gone ignored. Sicheng had a ring on his finger, one with a large round diamond that had made Sicheng frown when he saw it. Zhou Zhihao thought he frowned because it wasn’t big enough. Ten knew that he frowned because Sicheng didn’t like flashy jewelry and accessories. Now he was expected to wear something so gaudy for the rest of his life.

“I’ve made my choice,” Sicheng said. “I’m going through with this, gege.”

“I know you are,” Ten said. He placed his hand on Sicheng’s shoulder. “Just as long as this is what you want, then I’ll support you.”

Those weren’t the right words to say. Sicheng stood up, walking away from him. He pulled his arms around himself like he was trying to find comfort. Ten watched as he started to pace from one end of the room to the other.

“Why do you have to be like this?” Sicheng asked. “I need you right now. I need you more than anything and you tell me that – that you’ll support me only if this is what I want?” He stopped pacing and put his palms up to his eyes, like he was trying to forcefully stop any potential tears. “I don’t want this. I don’t want Zhou Zhihao, but what other choice do I have?” Sicheng dropped his hands from his face and Ten hated how scared he looked. “I’m going to pay off my debt and yours too. You’re going to see the world, the galaxy, and maybe even other galaxies. You’ll be free and maybe… maybe one day I can convince Zhihao to take me on trips out of the city.”

Ten went to Sicheng, wrapping his arms around him and pulling him into a hug. He rocked them side-to-side and patted Sicheng’s back, like he was trying to soothe an upset child. Sicheng sniffled a few times in his ear, but Ten didn’t hear any sobs. It seemed like Sicheng at least had that under control.

“We can still kill him,” Ten said. “Poison him and then take his money.”

“That’s not happening, gege,” Sicheng said.

He pulled away from Sicheng and placed his hands on his cheeks.

“Blink twice if you want me to kill him for you.” Sicheng closed his eyes and kept them shut. Ten sighed. “Okay, we won’t kill him.”

They stood there for a few minutes, swaying in each other’s arms. Ten almost suggested that they start dancing together. They used to do that when they were younger. Mama wanted them to be well-rounded when it came to their education. She loved the arts, so they learned everything from pottery to calligraphy to poetry to oil painting to dancing. They had both taken to dancing more than anything else. It had been so long since they danced together though. Ten missed it, just like he missed most things about being a child.

There was a knock on their door. Sicheng stepped away from him first.

“Yes?” he said.

As soon as the door opened, Sicheng turned his back so that whoever was there couldn’t see his face. A small machine was in the hallway.

“Mama wants to know what’s taking so long,” the machine said.

“I’m just trying to calm his nerves,” Ten said. “We’ll be down in a minute.”

The machine seemed to think that this was a satisfactory answer. It closed the door, but not before Ten heard it start a timer, beginning at 60 seconds.

“This is it,” Sicheng said. “I’m getting married.”

“Not tonight,” Ten said. “It’s only an engagement party. The wedding is still months away.”

Sicheng turned around again, stepping up to the mirror once more to look at himself. He was dressed in red and one of the girls from the room next to theirs had done his hair and makeup. Ten leaned against him, looking at how Sicheng saw himself in the mirror.

“You’re beautiful,” Ten said.

“That’s what I’ve been told,” Sicheng said. He looked away, like he was embarrassed by what he saw. “Let’s go. The sooner I go down there, the sooner it’ll be over, right?”

“Right,” Ten said even though he wasn’t sure that was exactly how it worked.

He reached down, taking Sicheng’s hand in his before leading him out of the room. Not everyone at the boardinghouse had been invited to the party. The younger residents were meant to stay in their rooms and so were any residents who had bad behavior strikes. Ten was only allowed at the party because Sicheng insisted.

They walked down the steps together, flight after flight until they reached the first floor. Music was playing from the dining hall. It was an orchestra, loud and lively and Ten squeezed his eyes shut as an image came to him. He saw the ballroom from his dream. The bright lights and the people dancing and the old woman putting the golden box into his hands.

“Are you all right?” Sicheng asked softly.

Ten opened his eyes. He pushed the dream aside. Thinking about that had never done him any good.

“I’m fine,” Ten said. “What about you?”

“Fine,” Sicheng said. “I’m fine, too. I have to be.”

He wanted to tell Sicheng that he didn’t have to be fine. If he wanted to go back to their room and forget about this night, then that would be fine. Ten wanted to tell him that if he wanted to leave through the front door and never return to this house, then that would be fine, too.

“Let’s go,” Sicheng said. “Before I lose my nerve.”

Ten would have to keep those words to himself though. Sicheng had made his choice and, even though it wasn’t what Ten wanted for him, he knew he had to support him. They walked into the ballroom with their hands still joined. Sicheng’s palm was sweaty against his own.

All eyes locked onto them as they entered the room. Barely any of the faces were familiar to him. Mama was there with her hair piled on top of her head, wearing silk robes with elaborate embroidery. He recognized a few couples that had formed because of the boardinghouse. Most of the couples consisted of one gorgeous young person and someone who was average, plain, and middle-aged – if not elderly. Zhihao and Sicheng would fit in perfectly with those couples.

They weren’t given any time to breathe before Zhihao approached them, a wide smile on his face. He took Sicheng into his arms and Ten had to reluctantly let go of his hand. Zhihao placed his hands on Sicheng’s face. Sicheng did his best to return Zhihao’s smile, but Ten could see how forced it was.

“You’re exquisite,” Zhihao said. He kissed Sicheng’s cheek and then his jaw. “You’ve made me the happiest man alive.”

“And you’re… very handsome,” Sicheng said. His smile seemed to get more nervous with each second that passed. “I’m so lucky.”

Zhihao’s eyes dropped to his lips and Ten could already guess what he was about to do. He had a few excuses quickly come to his mind, but Sicheng took action before he could speak. Zhihao wasn’t able to move in for a kiss before Sicheng wrapped his arms around his shoulders, pushing his face against his neck.

Ten looked at the crowd that was watching them. They all laughed and cooed, like they found Sicheng’s sudden embrace to be endearing and romantic. Ten could see that Sicheng’s hands were shaking as they held on to Zhihao.

“Let’s go find a table,” Zhihao said. “You look so nervous. I’m sure you haven’t eaten all day.”

Sicheng nodded and then all Ten could do was watch as Zhihao led him to a table at the front of the room. Ten wasn’t going to take his eyes off of them for the rest of the night. He knew that when Sicheng agreed to marry Zhihao he told him that he wanted to wait to start their _intimate_ relationship until after they were married. Zhihao had easily agreed, but that didn’t mean he could be trusted not to grab or kiss Sicheng. Ten walked around the edge of the dancefloor, watching as a small group of machines carried trays of food to Sicheng and Zhihao’s table.

“He’ll be fine,” Mama said. She appeared at his side with an annoyingly smug smile on her face. “You knew this day would come eventually.”

“The day I’ve been waiting for hasn’t come yet,” Ten said. “This isn’t a wedding. Sicheng hasn’t signed any contract.”

“He’s given Zhou Zhihao his word,” Mama said. “That’s as good as any written contract in my eyes. I’m sure Zhihao feels the same way.” She placed her hands on his shoulders. “I think Sicheng would agree as well. He’s a good boy. Honest and honorable. Loyal.”

“I know he is,” Ten said.

It was one of Sicheng’s best attributes, as well as his greatest flaw. He would never betray anyone he cared about, but he was gullible. Ten could only look at Zhihao and think of a million different ways that he would trick and hurt Sicheng. He knew that Sicheng looked at him and saw a kind man who was lonely and wanted companionship.

“The man who visited you last week is here,” Mama said. “Go talk to him. You didn’t complain about him after he left, so I’m assuming you approve.”

“It’s not that I approve,” Ten said, “it’s just that I don’t know what to make of him.”

His eyes scanned the crowd. It didn’t take long for him to find Johnny at the other side of the hall. He was leaning against the bar, talking to a shorter man whose back was turned to Ten. It was almost as if Johnny sensed his presence because a second didn’t pass before their eyes met. He raised his hand to wave at him, but Ten looked away.

“He’s not from Sihai,” Ten said. “You never allow suitors from different planets.”

“Well, you’re from a different planet,” Mama said. “I thought you two might work together. Especially since you’re so picky. I had to be willing to break a few of my own rules.” She sighed, placing her hand on Ten’s arm. “He’s handsome and young and rich. What more could you possibly want?”

“Nothing,” Ten said. “I don’t want anything.” He looked at Sicheng who was taking timid bites of food as Zhihao spoke to him. “I’m not here tonight to find my future husband. I’m here to keep Sicheng safe.”

Ten left Mama’s side before she could say another word. He already knew what she would say. She would tell him that he was too protective of Sicheng. That if he truly cared about him, then he would respect Sicheng’s decision. That Ten needed to start worrying about himself and his own future.

He was still as determined as ever to ignore those words.

As he walked around the ballroom, Ten recognized fewer and fewer faces. Most of the attendees were older, around Mama’s age. He assumed that some of Zhihao’s friends and coworkers were present, but Ten knew that most of the people were there because Mama asked them to come. She threw the best parties in the Upper Middle Circle. Most rich people were easily bored, so they wouldn’t turn down an invitation. It looked like he was the only one there who was Sicheng’s guest. Ten wasn’t exactly surprised by that.

“Can I get you a drink?”

Ten had been doing laps around the dancefloor, keeping his eye on Sicheng while trying to look too busy to talk to anyone. Apparently his plan hadn’t worked. He turned around to see a squat old man with thinning hair and an even thinner mustache. His eyes didn’t hide their intentions at all as they slowly looked up and down Ten’s body.

“No, thank you,” Ten said.

He looked to the table where Sicheng and Zhihao were sitting, only to see that they weren’t there anymore. Ten pushed up on to his tiptoes, looking around the ballroom in an attempt to spot them.

“You look lonely,” the man said, grabbing his wrist. “Come sit with me. I’ll buy you as many drinks as you want.”

Ten felt his stomach churn in disgust. The line sounded so rehearsed. He could only imagine the number of people this man had pressured into drinking with him.

“I’m not interested,” Ten said. “I have to find my friend.”

“I’ll help you find your friend.”

“I don’t need your help.”

“Stop being so stubborn and let me–”

“There you are, darling.”

Just as Ten was about to yank his hand out of the man’s grasp, an arm circled around his waist. The voice that spoke to him had a heavy accent. Sihai sounded a little forced coming from his lips, like he wasn’t sure of his words. Ten turned his head to look at the newcomer. Not only did this man look to be around the same age as him, but they were nearly the same height. His hair was a bright white and he was looking at Ten so intensely that he felt his knees wobble. Ten would be lying if he said that this stranger wasn’t the most handsome man he had ever seen.

“Let go of him,” he said to the old man that was still clinging to Ten’s wrist.

The man’s grip on Ten loosened and he let his hand fall to his side. He looked between the two of them before snarling and walking away. The stranger chuckled, clearly amused by the old man’s behavior. His own arm let go of Ten.

“I’m sorry that I touched you so suddenly,” the stranger said. He easily switched from speaking Sihai to Silla. It sounded much more natural to him. “I couldn’t think of another way to get him to leave.”

“That’s… fine,” Ten said. “Thank you, but I have to go.”

A handsome stranger wasn’t worth any more of his time than an ugly one. Ten wasn’t going to give him his attention just because he made the old man leave.

“I’d like to dance with you,” the stranger said. “I saw your friend go to the dancefloor with his fiancé. You’ll be able to keep a closer eye on him there.”

“That’s not a very convincing reason to dance with you,” Ten said.

“It’s the only reason I can offer though,” he said. His head tilted to the side and smiled. “I’ve been waiting a long time to dance with you. Can’t you take pity on me? Just this once?”

Usually Ten would roll his eyes and walk away from such a terrible proposal. He didn’t want this man to think that he was different from the others just because he was young and handsome. Ten looked out at the crowd. He couldn’t see Sicheng anywhere.

“Fine,” Ten said. “One dance. It’ll last as long as it takes to get to one side of the dancefloor to the other.”

The man’s smile seemed to get even wider. Ten couldn’t help but feel that it was genuine as well. He could almost believe that all this man wanted was to dance with him. Ten wouldn’t let himself fall for that though.

When they reached the floor, Ten placed his left hand on the man’s shoulder and allowed him to take his right hand in his. The orchestra was playing an upbeat, jaunty tune, so it was acceptable for them to move around the dancefloor, taking up space. As they moved, Ten looked around, examining each couple as he searched for Sicheng.

“You haven’t even asked for my name,” the stranger said.

“I don’t need to know your name,” Ten said. “You haven’t asked for mine either.”

“That’s because I already know yours,” he said. “To me, you’ve always been just Ten, but I was surprised when I learned that you go by Lee Ten now. I’m not vain enough to assume you took my family name on purpose. Johnny told me that you have amnesia, so I’m sure you only remember the first part of your own family name, but… I do like the sound of Lee Ten.”

His feet came to a stop. Ten finally looked away from the crowd so that he could face the man he was dancing with. He was surprised by how familiarly, how _tenderly_ he was looking at him.

“I finally found you, Ten-ah,” he said. “I can’t believe I found you.”

Ten was suddenly overtaken by the same emotions he felt when he met with Johnny. He was overwhelmed and confused and upset. He was upset because the person in front of him seemed to know more about him than he knew about himself. Ten stepped away from the stranger, his head shaking as if he were already disagreeing with the man.

“You have me confused with someone else,” Ten said. “I don’t know who you are. Are you one of Johnny’s friends? I understand that you two are looking for someone, but it’s not me.”

“But it is you,” the stranger said. “We were children when we last saw each other, but I’m sure that you’re the Ten I’m looking for. You look just like your mother.”

He seemed to have forgotten how to breathe. This wasn’t the first time someone had claimed to know him before he lost his memories. His amnesia was part of his mysterious persona that Mama marketed to potential suitors. Most of the people who tried to trick him said that they had seen him in an orphanage. Some said they had met him in a past life. Their lies were vague and inaccurate and made him feel nothing.

Looking into this stranger’s eyes, Ten knew that he didn’t recognize this man. Nothing about him was familiar, but he was speaking so earnestly. He could hear some desperation in his voice. Ten wanted to tell him that he was an exceptional actor.

“Come with me,” the stranger said. “I’ll speak to the owner of this house right now. I’ll pay your debt and we can leave tonight. You don’t have to stay here anymore. I’ll explain everything to you. I’m going to take you back home.”

“Home?” Ten said. The golden box that he had put in his jacket pocket felt much heavier now. “To Silla? That’s where you’re from, isn’t it?”

“Yes,” he said. “That’s not your home though. I can take you back to Siam. Back to your people.”

Before Ten could question him further, a familiar face made its way through the crowd of dancers. Johnny went to the stranger’s side, taking his elbow in his hand.

“Jeoha,” he said. “I got a message from our men stationed outside. An airship is approaching the building. We have to leave now.”

“I told you not to use my title here,” the stranger said. “I’m in disguise.”

“You’re not wearing a crown, Taeyong,” Johnny said. “That’s hardly a disguise. And your request to roleplay isn’t what’s important right now.”

“Are you sure that the airship is one of my father’s?” Taeyong asked.

“Positive,” Johnny said.

Ten looked away from them. There was a ringing in his ears. He felt unsteady on his own feet. What Taeyong had said didn’t mean anything to him. It didn’t matter if he knew about his past. Ten had abandoned his past a long time ago. The only thing he cared about now was one person. He couldn’t see Sicheng anywhere.

Not too far away, Ten saw one of the older girls who lived as a resident. He approached her, interrupting her conversation with what he assumed was a potential suitor.

“I’m sorry to interrupt,” Ten said. “Have you seen Sicheng?”

The girl darted her eyes at him, clearly annoyed by his presence. She thankfully didn’t ignore him though.

“I saw him leave with his fiancé a few minutes ago,” she said. “They looked close. I’m sure they went to find a room to have some private time.”

She started her previous conversation again, pretending like Ten wasn’t still standing there. That worked for him though because she had just told him everything he needed to know.

Ten left the ballroom without another glance back at Taeyong and Johnny. He assumed that they had noticed his absence by now, but he didn’t care. Finding Sicheng was his top priority. He didn’t believe that Sicheng would willingly leave with Zhihao. Something was wrong.

Ten went to the stairs, taking them two at a time as he ran up the steps. If Sicheng had been forced to leave the ballroom, then there was only one place he would go if he wanted to be found. Ten hoped that he suggested to Zhihao that they go back to his room. If they weren’t there, it could take hours for Ten to find them someplace else. There were too many rooms and hidden spots in the boardinghouse to look.

Once he reached their floor, Ten could feel sweat beading at his temples. He was in good shape, but sprinting up countless flights of stairs would always be strenuous. The hall was empty and he couldn’t hear anything. Most of the residents were asleep by now. The rest were at the party downstairs.

Ten went to his and Sicheng’s room, sliding the door open and instantly feeling his heart drop. He had found Sicheng, but this wasn’t how he wanted to find him.

Sicheng’s back from pressed up against the wall of their room. Zhihao’s was grabbing his waist and his mouth was attached to his neck. Ten could see Sicheng’s hands pushing at his chest, but Zhihao wouldn’t budge.

Ten’s body moved on its own. He reached into his pocket, grabbing the golden box. Ten gripped it tightly in his hand before walking toward Zhihao and hitting him in the back of the head. A loud thud echoed in the room as Zhihao hit the floor. Ten looked down at him. His hands were shaking and he felt like he couldn’t swallow. It was as if a rock was lodged in his throat.

“Gege.”

Ten looked away from Zhihao, bringing his attention to Sicheng instead. His face was flushed and he was trembling and Ten had never seen him so scared.

“He… He pulled me away from the party as soon as he could,” Sicheng said. “I didn’t want to go with him but what choice… I knew that I had to bring him back here because this is the only place–”

“I know,” Ten said. He grabbed his hands, pulling Sicheng into the center of the room and away from Zhihao. “You don’t have to explain yourself to me. You never have to–”

“Gege, you just…” Sicheng said. “Is he breathing?”

“I don’t know,” Ten said. “I’m scared to look.”

He was still clutching the golden box in his hand. Ten didn’t want to look at it. He didn’t want to see if it was stained with blood. All he wanted was to leave.

“I’ll explain what happened to Mama,” Sicheng said. “She’ll understand. You won’t get in trouble for this. You were only protecting me.”

“You don’t have to tell her anything,” Ten said. He put his hands on Sicheng’s shoulders. His eyes were watery and Ten hated how scared he looked. He never wanted Sicheng to ever be afraid. Never again. “This is the last time I’m going to say this.”

“Say what?”

“Let’s leave,” Ten said. “Let’s pack a bag and go right now. We can leave through the exit in the kitchen. I don’t know how we’ll make money. I know that Mama will use the tracking devices in our necks to hunt us down, but I have to try. I’m leaving with or without you, Sicheng. You have to make your choice.”

Ten knew that this wasn’t fair. Sicheng was obviously in shock because of what had just happened. Forcing him to make a decision so quickly wasn’t the right thing to do. It was the only thing Ten could do though. Either Zhihao would wake up and attack both of them, or someone would come looking for them eventually and find a body. Ten didn’t want to be around for either of those scenarios. Sicheng could survive both of them. He would still be allowed to live here.

While he waited for Sicheng to answer, Ten went to his closet. He took out a small bag that he used to carry groceries on the rare occasion that Mama let them run errands. The first thing that he put in was the golden box that he could see had blood on it. He covered it with a few changes of clothes and a scarf that Sicheng had given him for his last birthday.

Ten reached for the top shelf of his closet, hoping to grab a pair of boots that he rarely wore. His fingertips brushed them just as Sicheng reached past him to grab them.

“I wouldn’t survive a day here without you,” Sicheng said, “and I know you wouldn’t survive a day out there without me too.” He took off his engagement ring and put it in his pocket. “We can sell it.”

Sicheng took another one of the small bags and started to fill it with his own clothes. Neither one of them had any valuables, so clothes were the only thing they could really pack. That and small keepsakes that they had kept over the years.

They were both dressed up for the party, but Ten didn’t want to risk any time changing. Once they had filled their bags, he took Sicheng’s hand in his and led him outside into the hall. It was still just as quiet as it had been before.

Sicheng’s panic was coming off of him in waves. Ten knew that as soon as they stepped outside he would have to fight Sicheng from going back to the boardinghouse. He was a flight risk and Ten knew he needed to do everything in his power to get him to stay by his side and focus on the task at hand.

Leave the house. Find a place to change clothes. Get rid of the trackers in their necks. Sell the ring. Get the first trip out of the city or, even better, out of Sihai. Then they had the rest of their lives to worry about what they would do for work and how they would survive.

It seemed so simple when he thought about it like that.

As soon as they reached the first floor, the front doors to the boardinghouse burst open. A group of soldiers, dressed in Silla’s uniform marched in. They headed straight to the ballroom.

“How did–” Sicheng said. He was trembling almost uncontrollably now. “We just – You just – How could they already know that we–”

“They’re not here because of Zhihao,” Ten said.

Ten thought back to Taeyong and Johnny and their conversation about Taeyong’s father’s airship. Johnny had called Taeyong “Jeoha.” He was the crown prince. That meant his father…

“This is bad,” he said.

Ten pulled on Sicheng’s hand, leading him to the back of the house, away from the ballroom. He had so many thoughts and questions in his head, but he pushed them all aside. What he needed to do was focus.

Leave the house. Change clothes. Disable the trackers. Sell the ring. Get out of the city and never come back.

The kitchen was busy. Cooks and servers were rushing around, focusing on their work and not paying them any attention. Some glanced at them, but Ten didn’t stop moving. His heart was pounding against his ribcage.

They weren’t the first residents to escape. Plenty before had tried to leave through the back exit in the kitchen as well. Everyone managed to leave the property, but they were found soon after because of the trackers. None of them had ever left during a party though. Especially not a party that resulted in an unresponsive body upstairs and a group of soldiers barging in. He hoped that there were enough distractions to buy them some time before Mama sent people after them.

Once they reached the backdoor in the kitchen, Ten placed his hand on the knob. He looked at Sicheng for the first time since they left the bedroom together. Ten expected him to look scared. He expected him to plea one final time for him to change his mind.

Instead, Sicheng looked determined. He was still shaky and Ten could see how scared he was, but he knew that Sicheng wasn’t going to tell him to stay. They were actually going to leave.

“I trust you,” Sicheng said.

Ten didn’t think he had ever received a gift as great as Sicheng’s trust. It was something he would cherish for the rest of his life.

“Thank you,” he said.

Sicheng put his hand on top of Ten’s and they opened the door together. Without even a final glance over their shoulders, they both left the house, making their way into the cold night air.


	4. Chapter 4

Finding a spot to change clothes was the easiest part of their plan. Not far from the house, they entered an alleyway, squeezed between two apartment buildings. There were plenty of people out at this time of night. The cold winter weather did nothing to encourage them to stay inside. Ten was actually relieved that so many people were out. No one paid any attention to them since the streets were so crowded. They were able to easily blend in, even with Sicheng dressed in all red.

The alley they changed in had stacks of musty cardboard boxes that Ten assumed were once meant to be recycled. Trash seemed to pile up around the city, so Ten wasn’t surprised to see such a large amount of trash. He was grateful for it now since it provided a private place for them to change their clothes.

“How are we going to get rid of the trackers?” Sicheng asked as he crouched down to lace up his winter boots. “They’re in our necks, connected to our nerves.”

“No, they’re not,” Ten said. “The newer ones are. We have the older model. They can be taken out. Remember when one of the older girls removed hers with a razor in the bathroom?”

“I’ve tried to block that from my memory,” Sicheng said. He put his arms around himself, shuddering. Ten didn’t think that had anything to do with the cold. “I was eleven and forever scarred for life. What was her name again?”

“Song… something,” Ten said. “I can’t remember.”

“So, are you suggesting that we cut the trackers out of each other’s necks?” Sicheng asked.

“Do you have a better idea?” Ten asked. “We have to do this quickly. It won’t be long until Mama realizes that we’re missing and that there’s a dead man in our room.”

“He’s not dead,” Sicheng said. “He was still breathing when we left. I looked over my shoulder before we left our room.”

“Oh,” Ten said.

That was a relief. Ten didn’t like the man, especially after he attacked Sicheng, but he didn’t want to be a murderer. He wouldn’t have felt any remorse if Zhihao had died. Ten knew that Sicheng would blame himself though. He had a tendency to do that.

“Did you pack a razor?” Sicheng asked.

“No,” Ten said. “Did you?”

Sicheng shook his head. They had left in such a rush that they hadn’t made a stop to the bathroom first. Toothbrushes and soap and shampoo would be easy to acquire. A razor would be as well, but they didn’t have any money. Ten’s plan had been to disable the tracker, then sell the ring so that they could buy what they needed.

“We could sell the ring first,” Sicheng said, almost like he was reading Ten’s thoughts.

“It’ll take too long to find a buyer,” Ten said. “We can’t waste any more time.”

As soon as he spoke, the sounds of boots across the pavement filled his ears. He turned his head to see a group of men in military uniforms pass by the alley. Ten grabbed onto Sicheng, pulling him close so that they were pressed up against the side of one of the buildings.

The boxes were still hiding them from sight, but he wasn’t naïve enough to think that cardboard boxes could stop them from being spotted. Rays of light from flashlights shot down the alley. Ten waited for someone to walk toward them, but no one ever came.

“Those were Silla soldiers,” Sicheng said. He stuck his head out from behind the boxes to check and see if they were gone. “Who are they looking for?”

“Me, I think,” Ten said. “When Zhihao took you away, I met the crown prince.”

“The crown prince of Silla was at my engagement party?” Sicheng asked. “Is he friends with Zhihao? I know he met the prince on a business trip not long ago.”

“I don’t know,” Ten said. “We were dancing together and he started talking like he knew me, like we were childhood friends. Johnny Suh was there too. I think he works for him.”

“Wait,” Sicheng said, raising an eyebrow. “While I was being taken away by Zhihao, you were dancing with a prince?”

“I didn’t enjoy it.”

“Is he handsome?”

“What does that have to do with anything?”

“He was good-looking, wasn’t he, gege?”

“Well,” Ten said, balling up the suit he had worn to the party and shoving it into one of the boxes, “he wasn’t hideous.”

Sicheng laughed and Ten felt instantly at ease. That was one of his favorite sounds. Even after going through something so horrible, Sicheng could still laugh. Ten was insured by something so simple. Everything was going to be all right. They were going to make it through this because they had each other.

“Let’s get out of here,” Ten said. He took Sicheng’s hand and laced their fingers together. “I’m sure we can find something to cut out the trackers.”

His optimism started to fade as soon as they left the alleyway. The streets had been filled with civilians, but now he saw just as many Silla soldiers. One was holding up his comm, showing it to a few of his comrades. A hologram lit up and Ten saw his own face. It was the same image that Johnny had shown them when he first visited the boardinghouse. Ten pulled the hood of his coat over his head.

“Must have been some dance if the prince has all of his guards looking for you,” Sicheng said. His tone was joking, but it became more serious as he asked his next question. “Why are they looking for you, gege?”

“I don’t know,” Ten said as they walked down the street, keeping their heads low. “They’re not working with Mama though. She would have given them my tracking data by now.”

“At least we have that going for us,” Sicheng said.

Ten’s heart was pounding in his chest as they passed by multiple groups of Silla soldiers. He looked over his head to see a few more airships flying into the city. Ten could only think of one reason as to why so many people were looking for him. He must have done something in his past. This was all connected to who he truly was. He just didn’t know how.

“The machine repair shop is up ahead,” Sicheng said. “There has to be some sharp tools there.”

“How are we supposed to get ahold of the tools though?” Ten asked.

“I’ve been there a few times on errands,” Sicheng said. “The owner likes me. I’m sure he’ll let us borrow something if I ask politely. I’ll just… do my thing.”

Despite the direness of their situation, Ten couldn’t help but to stop walking. He looked at Sicheng whose cheeks were pink from the cold.

“Do what thing?” Ten asked.

“My flirting thing.”

“Dong Sicheng,” Ten said, “you don’t know how to flirt.”

“I can flirt,” Sicheng said. “I’ll just smile at him and touch his arm and giggle a lot. That’s what you do whenever you haggle at the market.”

“Well, I can do that because I’m me,” Ten said. “You’re you.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“You’re too sweet to flirt.”

“I am _not_.”

Before Ten could explain to Sicheng how exactly he would be the galaxy’s worst flirt, light was shined in their eyes. He covered his face with his hand, turning to look at Sicheng’s shoulder. Ten looked down to see that the man with the flashlight was wearing military boots.

“Good evening,” the man said. He was speaking Sihai with a heavy accent. “We’re looking for someone. Have either of you seen this individual?”

Ten kept most of his face covered with his hands as he turned to look at the soldier’s communicator. The hologram of his own face greeted him. Sicheng put his arm around Ten’s shoulders, squeezing tightly.

“No,” Sicheng said. “We just left our apartment. We haven’t seen many people tonight.”

“Thank you for your time,” the soldier said.

He didn’t walk away.

“I’ve seen your face,” he said, bringing the light back to Sicheng, “but not yours.” The light went to Ten.

“My friend has a bad scar,” Sicheng said. “It takes up most of his face. He doesn’t like showing his face to strangers.” He pulled Ten against his chest so that he could fully hide from the soldier. “I hope you find who you’re looking for.”

Before the soldier could insist to see Ten’s face again, Sicheng started to walk, taking Ten with him. He only let out a sigh of relief once enough time had passed and they were sure that the soldier hadn’t followed them.

“I doubt that’ll be the only time we’re stopped,” Sicheng said. “Not all of the soldiers will be that gullible either. We have to get out of the city.”

The machine repair shop wasn’t that far away from them now. They kept to the edge of the sidewalk, squeezing past civilians and soldiers and keeping their heads down. Ten was grateful for the cold. Having their hoods up wasn’t suspicious since most people were doing the same to keep warm.

Any hope that had grown in his chest was quickly snuffed when they arrived at the shop. The lights were off and the doors were locked. Ten grabbed the handle, pulling on it as if using all of his strength would make it open.

“There goes that plan,” Ten said. “We should just go back to the alley. I’m giving you permission to bite the tracker out of my neck.”

“That’s not happening, gege,” Sicheng said. He looked up and down the street, reading the signs of the different shops. “There has to be…”

He trailed off as soon as he saw a familiar person leave the music shop next door. Renjun, the moody teenager who worked there, was outside. He was locking up the shop.

“Excuse me,” Sicheng said, dragging Ten with him as he approached Renjun. “Can I ask you something?”

Renjun looked away from the door so that he could face them.

“You are the two from Mama’s boardinghouse,” Renjun said. “Are you here to book another band? We’re closed for the day.”

“That’s not why we’re here,” Sicheng said. “Can we borrow, uh, a pair of scissors, or something?”

Ten winced. He couldn’t help but think of cutting out the tracker with dull scissors. They were desperate, but scissors were far down on his list of preferred tools.

“Scissors?” Renjun said. “Why?”

“We need to cut something,” Sicheng said.

“Well, I already figured that out,” Renjun said. “What exactly–”

“We ran away,” Ten said. “There are chips in our necks that are tracking devices. We want to cut them out. Can you help or do we have to keep moving?”

He didn’t see any risk in admitting what they were doing to Renjun. The music shop was close to the boardinghouse, so he was already expecting that people hired by Mama would come there to look for them. If Renjun told them that he saw them, it wouldn’t be surprising or even useful information.

“I can help,” Renjun said. “I’m not going to lend you a pair of scissors though. Come on.” Without another word, he turned around and made his way toward the dentist office next door. The building was already closed, but Renjun put his hand up to the door. It scanned his fingerprints and then the door opened. “My father is a musician, my mother is a dentist.”

Ten couldn’t believe their luck. He didn’t let himself relax at all though. This could be some kind of trap. Even though Renjun looked like a harmless teenager, he knew better than to blindly trust someone.

They followed Renjun into the dentist office. He locked the door behind them and kept the lights off. Past the waiting room were two operating rooms.

“There are scalpels here,” Renjun said. “And numbing drugs as well.”

“And you’re allowed access to all of this?” Ten asked.

“I help my parents out at both businesses,” Renjun said. He opened up a glass cabinet by typing in a code. “We live in the apartments down the street. They ask me to close up a lot.”

“Why can’t they close themselves?” Sicheng asked.

“Because if people see that an adult is still here, they’ll want to stay after hours,” Renjun said. “The music shop isn’t bad, but a lot of people come here. My mother doesn’t charge everyone. Not many can afford a dentist, so they’ll show up here. We’re always busy.”

Ten sat down on the chair, watching as Renjun filled up two syringes with one of the drugs from the cabinet. Sicheng joined him on the chair. His hands were twisting in his lap.

“You can always go back,” Ten said softly. “You haven’t done anything wrong. No one from Silla is looking for you. I’m sure Mama can find you another suitor and–”

“I’m not leaving you,” Sicheng said. “I’ve made up my mind.”

He put his hand on Ten’s knee, squeezing tightly. It was as if he was the using the motion to ground himself. Ten knew that he was scared. He was scared himself. If they managed to make it out of the city, it would be a miracle. For the first time in his life, he was trying to be someone who believed in miracles.

“Why did you agree to help us?” Sicheng asked. “Won’t you get in trouble?”

“Probably,” Renjun said. “I don’t mind though. My parents won’t let me see my friends for a few weeks. That’s the worst that’ll happen to me.” He opened up another cabinet, taking out two scalpels. “My cousin was sent to Mama’s boardinghouse when she was 14. She was married four years later. I only see her once a year and she’s miserable. She hates her husband and I don’t even think she likes her kids.” Renjun turned on the light that was above the chair. “She even tried to kill herself once. I don’t want anyone else ending up like her.”

Renjun’s words settled heavily in Ten’s heart. He didn’t think he would ever find himself in the same situation as Renjun’s cousin, even if he had stayed at the boardinghouse. Looking at Sicheng, Ten could tell that he was imagining himself in her position. His eyebrows were drawn together and he was frowning, like he didn’t like the future he had just envisioned.

“I’m sorry about your cousin,” Ten said. “Thank you for helping us. Do you want any sort of payment or–”

“No,” Renjun said. “My mother helps people for free, so I want to do the same.”

Ten couldn’t help but smile. He pinched Renjun’s cheek, only to have his hand shoved away.

“You’re a good kid,” he said.

“I know,” he said with a shrug. “Just don’t tell anyone. I have a reputation to uphold.”

“We’re leaving the city,” Ten said, “so trust me, no one will know.”

The tense atmosphere lightened a bit. He was still terrified, but he felt more at ease in the tiny office, squished next to Sicheng in the dentist chair. None of the soldiers who were outside looking for him would have any reason to enter this place. They were safe for now, but it wouldn’t be long before Mama sent people after them.

“Who’s going first?” Renjun asked.

“I am,” Ten said. “Unless Sicheng wants–”

“Go ahead,” Sicheng said before Ten could finish his sentence.

He got up from the chair, leaving Ten alone there. Ten knew that there was no more time to waste. He took off his coat and handed it to Sicheng before turning around on the chair so that the back of his neck was exposed.

“I haven’t done anything like this before,” Renjun said. “I’ve only watched my mother perform surgery a few times and removing teeth seems different from removing–”

“It’s fine,” Ten said. “The chip is just underneath my skin.” He put his hand to the back of his neck, feeling around until he felt the hard metal chip. “It shouldn’t be difficult to get out.”

Renjun replaced Ten’s fingers with his own, feeling the chip for himself. He didn’t move right away. Ten knew he was working up the nerve to start, but he was growing impatient. He was about to ask if Sicheng should do it instead.

“I’m going to numb the area first,” Renjun said, picking up the syringe. “This is the same amount that my mother uses when she numbs a human’s gums. Hopefully it will be enough.”

That was the only warning he gave Ten. He felt a prick in the back of his neck. Sicheng reached out, grabbing his hand. Ten was reminded of when he was a child. A few of his baby teeth hadn’t fallen out on their own. Mama called a dentist to the boardinghouse so that she could numb his mouth and then pull out the rest of his teeth. She was a kind woman with a pretty smile. Ten just now realized that she might have been Renjun’s mother.

“Can you feel this?” Renjun asked. “I’m just poking you with my finger.”

There was a slight pressure on the back of his neck, but it was numbed.

“Barely,” Ten said.

“I can give you more.”

“Don’t,” Ten said. “Just get it over with.”

He tightened his hold on Sicheng’s hand. Renjun didn’t give him any warning this time. Ten could feel him cutting into the back of his neck. It hurt, but he knew the pain would have been much worse without the numbing drug. He clenched his teeth together and breathed through his nose, waiting for it to be over.

Eventually he heard the clink of something metal in a pan.

“You’re lucky,” Renjun said. “It was really shallow. I barely cut into your skin.”

“Good,” Ten said. “That’s good. Do I need stitches?”

“Uh, I don’t know,” Renjun said. He was applying pressure to the back of Ten’s neck with what he assumed was gauze. “We have needle and thread though. Should I do it just in case?”

“No,” Ten said. “Just give me a bandage. You’ve done enough.”

The thought of getting stitches was making him feel queasy. If Renjun said that the cut was shallow, then he believed him. He didn’t have a gaping hole in the back of his neck, so he would survive without stitches.

“Did it hurt?” Sicheng asked after Renjun put a bandage over Ten’s neck. “I couldn’t watch. I looked away when he gave you the numbing shot.”

“It wasn’t bad,” Ten said. He put his coat back on and then watched Sicheng take his spot on the chair. “The shot helped. It hurt some, but you’ll feel pressure more than anything.”

“Okay,” Sicheng said. “That doesn’t sound too bad.”

Ten took one of his hands, letting Sicheng hold it as Renjun did the same procedure on him. Sicheng kept his eyes tightly shut even after a bandage was placed over his wound. Ten ran his fingers through his hair, comforting him but also trying to break up the hair product that had been used to style his hair. His outfit was casual, but his hair was still perfectly styled. Mussing it would help to make them look even more inconspicuous. At least he hoped it would.

“What do you want to do with these?” Renjun asked.

He showed them the metal pan with the two tracking chips in it. They were covered in blood, but Ten could still see that they were blinking. Red light illuminated the pan they were in.

“Break them,” Ten said. “I’m sure she’ll be able to trace us to our last location, but it doesn’t hurt to be cautious.”

Ten took them out of the pan and then dropped them on the floor, crushing them with the heel of his boot. Once he lifted his foot, he saw that they were no longer blinking.

“We have a trash for biohazardous waste in the other operating room,” Renjun said. “I can put them there. You two should get on your way.” He went back to the cabinet, grabbing a bottle and taking two pills from it. “Painkillers. You’ll need them after the numbness goes away.”

“Thank you,” Sicheng said, taking the pills from him. “If there’s ever a way for us to come back here and repay you, we definitely will.”

Sicheng smiled at him and Renjun’s gaze instantly dropped to the floor. Renjun shrugged his shoulders, trying to act nonchalant, but Ten could see that his cheeks were pink. He rolled his eyes. Sicheng truly could charm anyone without even trying.

They looked around the small room, making sure they hadn’t left anything behind, before walking back to the front room with Renjun. Once they were on the street, Ten pulled his hood over his head as Renjun locked the door.

“Get home safely,” Ten said.

“I will,” Renjun said. “It’s a short walk. You two should be the ones being cautious.”

Ten reached forward, rustling Renjun’s hair. He pushed Ten’s hand away.

“Go on,” Sicheng said. “You don’t have to worry about us. I’m sure your parents are wondering why you’re not home on time. Don’t keep them waiting any longer.”

“I won’t,” Renjun said. “Good luck.”

With those final words, he walked away from them, blending into the crowd. Military soldiers were still out, but there weren’t as many as before. Ten assumed that most of them had moved on to another part of the city.

“We got rid of the chips, but I don’t feel any safer,” Sicheng said as they walked down the street, keeping their heads down and avoiding the soldiers. “I don’t understand why all of these soldiers are looking for you.”

“That makes two of us,” Ten said.

“No, but it really doesn’t make any sense,” Sicheng said. “You said you danced with the prince at the party. If he wanted to take you into custody, wouldn’t he have done it then? He’s either an idiot or he was lying about being the prince.”

“I suppose both of those things can be true,” Ten said, snorting. He thought back to the conversation he had with Taeyong. “I don’t think these soldiers are acting on his orders. Johnny told him that the king’s airship had arrived. All of these men are working for the king.”

“But shouldn’t the crown prince and the king be working together?” Sicheng asked. “They’re father and son.”

“I guess so,” Ten said. “It doesn’t matter to me though. I don’t want anything to do with them. I just want to get out of here.”

Sicheng didn’t ask him anymore questions about the prince and Ten was grateful for that. He felt like his head would explode if he continued thinking about it. All he wanted to focus on was the next step of their plan. They had to find somewhere to sell the ring.

“Do you have any idea how much Zhou Zhihao spent on your ring?” Ten asked. “When we sell it, I don’t want to get cheated out of any money.”

“I have no idea,” Sicheng said. “I know he was wealthy, but he never gave me any numbers. I don’t know how much money he had.”

“Let’s stop for a second,” Ten said.

He grabbed Sicheng’s arm, pulling him aside so that they could stand in the front of a small café. Inside, people were talking and eating and enjoying their night. Ten would give anything to be one of them. He wished he could have a boring, ordinary life with nothing to worry about.

Ten took his comm out of his pocket and searched for the prices of engagement rings. He didn’t have Sicheng get his ring out of his bag, so he searched using his memory.

“This one looks similar,” Ten said, showing a photo to Sicheng who nodded in agreement. “It’s 200,000 yuan. That’s…” Ten opened a money conversion app, “31,000 in Gaia credits.”

“You want to exchange the ring for Gaia credits?” Sicheng asked.

“In case we want to leave the planet,” Ten said. He put his comm back in his pocket just as he realized a huge oversight in his plan. “Shit.”

He grabbed his comm from his coat pocket, dropping it on the ground and stomping on it just like he had the tracking chips.

“What are you–” Sicheng said before his eyes went wide. “Oh, shit.” Sicheng fumbled with his pockets, taking out his own comm and destroying it just like Ten had. “I guess that’s something else we’ll have to buy.”

“Yeah, luckily we’re not too far from the dentist’s office,” Ten said, “so if she tracks our comms, she won’t get very far. There’s just one problem though.”

“What’s that?”

“Even if we find someone to sell the ring to,” Ten said, “how can we get the money? We don’t have bank accounts and it can’t be transferred to our comms since we don’t have any anymore.”

“We really didn’t think this through, did we?” Sicheng said.

“No, we didn’t,” Ten said.

Ten put his face in his hands. He thought he had been so clever when they left the house. Ten couldn’t believe he had overlooked something so obvious. Meeting Renjun had used up all of their luck. He knew he should be grateful. Getting rid of the tracking devices had been his biggest concern.

The only thing they could do was keep walking. As they continued through the city, Ten could feel the numbing drug wear off. The back of his neck felt like it was on fire. He didn’t have to say anything to Sicheng though since he knew the same was happening to him. Sicheng reached into his pocket, taking out the two pills Renjun had given them and handing one to Ten. He swallowed the pill dry, wincing at the phantom sensation of it getting stuck in his throat even though he knew that it hadn’t.

They had entered a busy part of town, somewhere that Ten had never been before. During the day it was always closed off since all of the businesses were only open at night. They passed by a small group of people lined up on the street, wearing clothes that were much too revealing for the cold weather. Ten shivered in sympathy.

“I guess that’s always an option,” he said. “Do you think I could sell my body in exchange for two comms instead of money?”

“Gege, don’t even joke about that,” Sicheng said.

“I’m not joking,” Ten said. “I’d only have to do it once. I could get us comms and then we can sell the ring and be on our way.”

“I’ll do it too then,” Sicheng said. “We’d get even more money that way.”

“Sicheng, don’t… oh,” Ten said. “You’re not being serious. You’re proving a point.”

“Exactly,” Sicheng said. “I feel the same way about you selling your body as you do about me selling mine. So, don’t do it. We can figure out something that…”

He trailed off, his attention having been caught by a building in front of them. Ten followed his gaze to see a gambling parlor. The neon signs advertised everything from slot machines to mahjong to blackjack to pai gow.

“Casinos accept physical money, don’t they?” Sicheng said.

“I think so,” Ten said.

“Do you think they would accept the ring in exchange for money?” Sicheng asked. “Or at least playing chips?”

“I’m not sure,” Ten said. “It’s our only option for now, so it’s worth a shot.”

It turned out that the casino did not accept rings as money. They made it inside and to the front booth only to have the woman working there give them a frown in response to their question. Ten understood why they didn’t accept it. The casino didn’t want to risk being responsible in case the ring was stolen. Even though, technically, in this case it wasn’t. Zhihao had gifted it to Sicheng after all.

“What are we going to do now?” Sicheng said. They were sitting at the bar, watching the action around them that they couldn’t participate in. “I thought the doorman letting us in without asking for our IDs was a good sign.”

“I think we’ve used up all of our good luck,” Ten said. He patted his back in an attempt to comfort him. “I’m surprised we made it this far.”

“I’m not,” Sicheng said. “I’ve always had faith in you.”

Ten couldn’t stop a small smile from forming on his lips. It was nice to know that, in at least Sicheng’s eyes, he wasn’t a total failure.

“Thanks, Sichengie,” Ten said. “I’ll think of a way out of this. I just need some time.”

He looked around the casino, trying to see if there was an answer in plain sight. Maybe if he sat on the lap of a high roller and flirted a bit, he could convince them to trade the ring for money. Just earlier that night he had been dancing with a prince and now he was in a seedy gambling parlor, thinking of any way he could to use his body to get some money. His looks were the only asset he had though. Well, that and an expensive ring that no one wanted to touch.

As he scanned his eyes across the room, he noticed a few men in expensive suits make their way to a backdoor. A guard was at the door. He let the men in, but turned a few others away.

“Don’t places like this usually have backrooms?” Ten said. “Where the illegal gambling takes place? I’m sure a game like that would accept the ring as payment.”

“How would we even get into a room like that?” Sicheng said. “And even if we did, neither of us have played any of these games before, we would never be able to win.”

“I know,” Ten said. “It was just a thought.”

Just as he was about to suggest they leave, someone took the seat at the bar next to Ten. He looked over his shoulder to see a handsome man who looked to be about the same age as him. Instead of flagging down the bartender like Ten thought he would, he looked directly at them instead.

“I couldn’t help but overhear,” the man said, “and I think I can help you two out.” He outstretched his hand to Ten who looked down at it and then at the man’s boyish smile. “Qian Kun.”

Ten glanced down at his hand once more before he grabbed Sicheng’s arm and pulled him away from the bar.

“It’s time to go,” Ten said.

“You’re not going to hear him out?” Sicheng asked.

“Of course not,” Ten said. “You’re the only person I can trust. I’m not accepting help from anyone.”

“You accepted help from Renjun.”

“That’s different.”

“You should really listen to your friend.”

They had only made it a few steps from the bar, but the man – Kun, if that was even his real name – had followed them. Ten turned around to face him.

“Fine,” he said. “Go ahead. How can you help us?”

“I can play for you,” Kun said. “I’ve been to the backroom here a few times. The game of the night is poker and everyone cheats. You have to be good at sleight of hand to win and, luckily, I am pretty good at it.”

He held up one of his fingers to tell them to wait before he went back to the bar. Kun came back with two coasters that had different logos printed on them. He stacked them together and then snapped his fingers. The coasters had switched places, a different one now on top.

“Wow,” Sicheng said, clapping his hands together just as Ten said, “Was I supposed to find that impressive?”

“Most people find it impressive,” Kun said. “Look, I don’t know what kind of situation you two are in, but I want to help. I saw the ring that you showed to the lady at the front desk. I wouldn’t mind getting a cut of the profits.”

Ten should have expected that. The world couldn’t be full of people like Renjun who wanted to help them for nothing in return. He folded his arms across his chest, trying his best to look intimidating. Kun didn’t look intimidated though. He kept looking at them with that same boyish smile.

“We don’t really have that many options, gege,” Sicheng said, keeping his voice soft enough so that only Ten could hear him. “I know we got rid of anything that could lead people to us, but we still need to leave the city.”

He knew that Sicheng was right. Mama’s men would be out looking for them and so was the entire Silla military it seemed like. They needed to get money as soon as possible so that they could get off the planet. It wasn’t safe for them here.

“Fine,” Ten said. “But we’re working out a deal beforehand. I’m going in with you, too.”

Kun grinned. “I look forward to doing business with you.”

“Yeah, well,” Ten said, “don’t get used to it.”

This was going to be the longest night of his life. He just hoped it would all be worth it in the end.

**Author's Note:**

> 20k words in and we finally have a love interest!!
> 
> ⋇⋆✦⋆⋇
> 
> A new fandom, a new fic. I've been into WayV for like........ two weeks now?? and I've already decided to write an epic space opera fic because that's how in love I am. This fic will also feature appearances and cameos from other NCT members, but will mostly focus on WayV. I'm so excited to start writing this. It's going to be a really long fic, so hopefully y'all will stick around for the journey.
> 
> Thanks for reading!  
> \- Erin  
> [Twitter](https://twitter.com/linksofmemories)  
> [Curious Cat](https://curiouscat.me/linksofmemories)


End file.
